Memory Stones
by Dark Shining Light
Summary: They were each others most precious people; why not remember the good times they've had? Nalu
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Dedicated to Ryuoujin for being kind and supporting me on my writing for the last couple of months. Thank you for the request and I hope you like it! :)  
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"Memory Stones"

By Dark Shining Light

Pairing: Lucy and Natsu

Romance/Humor

Rated T

Summary: They were each others most precious person; why not remember the good times they've had? Nalu

(I do NOT Own Fairy Tail)

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><p>…<p>

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Natsu's eyes struggled to stay open; his head leaning against the soft blanket helped keep it in place but not drive away his sleepiness. _'Damn it, where is she?'_ The male wondered.

Happy had fallen asleep while waiting for Lucy to return home. Now the dragon slayer was having difficulties staying awake.

It was strange. Usually their blonde partner didn't stay out late; only those few incidents were she was waiting for them at their house but she figured out really quickly that if they weren't there by a certain time that they were at her apartment. So why wasn't she back yet?

Just when he was about to go and search her, he heard the sound of a key and the front door opened. He smiled casually before closing his eyes. She was home.

He heard her footsteps approach them and her rich vanilla scent entered his nostrils. He knew that she stopped a few feet away from them. She sighed. "Of course you would be here…" She muttered.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he gave her a cheery grin instead. "Welcome back." He said quietly.

The girl flinched. She looked nervous but tried to cover it up with a smile. Didn't she know that didn't work? "Y-You're awake?"

Natsu watched as she tightened the grip on her purse. She might have not noticed but he did.

"Where were you?" He inquired.

Lucy gulped and unconsciously took a step back. The blonde must have realized what she did because she put on a brave face and glared. "None of your business."

This time he did roll his eyes. '_So she wants to do this the hard way huh?'_

"Lucy…" He stood up and slowly approached her with a mischievous grin. Her glare hardened but the nervous expression on her face made her appear less intimidating. "Tell me…"

"I-I-I said it's none of your business!" She snapped.

"You leave me no choice then. TICKLE FIGHT!" Using his amazing speed, the dragon slayer tossed the girl over his shoulder and dropped her on the bed before ticking her sides. She burst into laughter and tried to stop him but all attempts were futile against her partner.

"S-STOP!" She laughed.

He grinned devilishly. "Not until you tell me!"

"N-NEVER!"

Natsu continued his attacks on the poor girl; neither of them noticed that the blue cat was now awake. Happy yawned and rubbed a sleepy eye. "What's going on?" He asked.

"H-HAPPY! H-HELP!" Lucy begged. However, being the mischievous cat he was, Happy flew over to the pair and landed on his 'father's' head. "Faster Natsu faster!" He cheered.

"You got it buddy!" The pink haired teen moved his fingers more quickly against her sides.

"HAHAHA HAPPY-YOU-YOU SHITTY- CAT!" Both laughed at her expression.

"Tell me where you were!"

"S-SOMEWHERE!"

"Doing what?!"

"N-NOT TELLING!"

"TELL ME!"

"HAHAHA FINE! I-I-I WAS BUYING YOUR-YOUR BIRTHDAY PRESENT!"

The girl gasped; her body felt much better now that it wasn't being tickled. She looked at the dragon slayer's eager face and realized what she had done. "Where is it?!" He inquired excitedly.

She pouted and gave him an angry look. "I'm not telling."

"Lucy…" He growled playfully, wiggling his fingers to demonstrate that he would tickle her again to get her to answer. She gulped.

"Maybe it's in her bag!" Happy chimed in and pointed to the girl's fallen purse.

"NO!" Lucy screamed. She attempted to get her bag but Natsu pounced on her, holding her wrists over her head as the rest of his body sandwiched her between him and the bed.

"Get it Happy!" The dragon slayer encouraged his 'son' as he ignored the blushing girl's screams.

"Aye sir!"

The blue cat dumped the contents of the bag on the floor. He ignored Lucy's angry protests and continued to search.

"I found it!" He cheered and waved a tiny wrapped present to Natsu.

"Alright! Bring it here buddy!"

"Happy I swear if you give him the box I'm never buying you fish again!"

"Wah! Lucy's going to let me starve!" The cat cried before flying back to his best friend and the sandwiched blonde. Natsu laughed. "I won't let that happen! Hand it here!"

Grabbing her wrists with one of his hands, the male took the present from Happy, hopped off and opened it quickly right next to her. The cat hovered over him, just as excited as his partner.

Lucy sat up and looked away from the two; though she was angry with their behavior, nervousness still entered her system. After hearing nothing, her eyes shifted back to her friends. Their faces showed clear disappointment.

"You got me a rock?" The human inquired sadly as toyed with the gift in his hands.

"That's mean Lucy. I didn't know you were this stingy." Happy stated. It was clear he was displeased with the gift she got his 'father'

"Can it cat! This has nothing to do with you." She said before swiping the rock from Natsu. "Now if you would have just waited, I don't know, until your birthday then I would have properly explained what this was."

"So it's not a rock?" Natsu asked suspiciously. His tone indicated that he didn't believe her.

"It is but it's not just a rock-"

"Just because it's a big rock doesn't mean it's not a rock Lucy." The blue Exceed taunted.

"SHUT IT HAPPY!" Lucy snapped. She took a deep breath. "It's called a memory stone."

Both males gave her a questionable look that asked 'what's that?'

"See this flat surface?" She asked as she ran her finger down the smooth surface of the rock which was roughly about the size of her hand.

They nodded.

"If you think about a certain memory while holding this rock, the memory will play out right here so it looks like a movie."

After seeing their surprised expressions, she couldn't help but feel a little smug. "The best part of this stone is that once it taps into that memory, it will show the whole thing rather than just the small bits you can remember on your own."

"Really?!" They inquired eagerly.

Lucy smiled. "Yup." She moved closer so that she was sitting right beside the two. "I'll demonstrate. What memory should we see?"

"Hmm…." The trio sat and thought.

"Oh! I got it!" Happy said. "How about when the three of us first met?"

The dragon slayer smiled brightly. "That's a good idea Happy!"

Their female companion grinned. "Ok. I'm good with that." She closed her eyes and three seconds afterwards, an image appeared on the smooth surface of the rock.

"Woah!" Happy and Natsu cheered before continuing to watch.

_An annoyed looking Natsu stared at the fake Salamander. "Who the heck are you?" _

_The other wizard gasped before turning white. "Who am I?" He gasped before claiming, "I am Salamander. Surely you've heard of me before?"_

_One second later Happy and Natsu were shown walking down the alley way. Bora stood frozen in shock after seeing them so disappointed._

"That's the expression he had when I left?!" The pink haired teen laughed. "Man he looked stupid!"

"Aye!" Happy agreed. Lucy giggled before watching once again.

_As soon as they tried leaving, Natsu was attacked by four fangirls. The other girls stood in line to have a turn at the unknown wizard._

This time Lucy was the one laughing. "You should have seen that coming oh great Salamander!"

Happy giggled. "That is pretty funny Natsu."

Pointing at the blue cat, he said "Traitor" before moving it so his finger pointed at the blonde. "Those girls were just crazy! You can't win against those!"

"_Now, now. That's enough my ladies. Let him go. I'm sure the poor boy didn't mean anything malicious by it." Bora said in smoothing voice. The girls quickly began worshipping the male once again._

"_Here's my autograph." The blue haired man held out the 'Salamander' board. "Now you can brag about it to all your friends."_

"_No thanks." Natsu responded plainly._

_The fangirls behind them were instantly angered. The beating happened so fast because the next thing Lucy knew the boy was thrown into the garbage._

"Seriously, how did you not learn your lesson the first time?" The celestial wizard taunted.

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "Like I said those girls were crazy."

"_Well I'm afraid I must be going ladies; I have some business to attend to." The fake Salamender stated._

"_You're leaving already?!" The girls whined in unison._

"_Time for the red carpet. Ha!" He snapped his fingers before his pink magic lifted him up into the air. "I'm having a suave tonight and you're all invited!" Then he vanished into the sky._

_Natsu stared blankly into the sky. "Who the heck was that?"_

"_I don't know but he was a real creep."_

_The gray colored eyed male and his cat turned their attention to her. "Thank you for your help." _

"And that's how we first met." She concluded with a warm smile.

"Aye! Then Lucy took us out to eat! She was so much nicer back then." Happy sighed. The blonde narrowed her eyes at the Exceed. "I still feed you idiots! And wait a minute!"

She glared at both teammates. "I just realized you two totally didn't do anything and you still took my offer to buy you lunch! I want my money for that meal back!"

"Natsu, Lucy's being greedy again!" The smallest member of their group cried.

"No kidding buddy." Igneel's son nodded his head to that.

"YOU TWO WERE THE MOOCHERS! NOT ME!" She rightfully countered.

"BUT LUCY WE WERE STARVING!" Natsu yelled in protest.

"AYE! SO HUNGRY!" Happy added for exaggeration.

"Besides, wasn't bringing you to Fairy Tail enough?" He asked his partner with large puppy eyes.

Seeing his expression, the blonde closed her eyes, crossed her arms under her breasts and looked the other way. "Fine. I'll let it go only because you guys helped me so much afterwards."

Natsu smiled brightly. Choosing to sit in front of her, the male pulled her into his arms and embraced her. "Thanks for the rock Luce." He said gently with a warm grin still on his face. "I really do love it."

He felt her temperature increase so he figured she must be turning red again. His question whether this was good or not was answered when she wrapped her own arms around his. "You were supposed to wait until your birthday you idiot." She mumbled.

The dragon slayer chuckled quietly. "You know I can't wait that long you weirdo."

Somehow, he knew she was smiling as well.

"You lllliiikkkeee each other!" Happy grinned mischievously above them.

Lucy tried to escape and grab the cat but the other teen laughed and continued to hold her. Happy giggled besides them before picking up his friend's present.

"Can we stay up and watch more?!" The Exceed eagerly inquired.

"Yeah and have a sleepover with lots of food?!" Natsu added excitedly.

"And fish!"

"And fire!"

"PPLLLEEEAASSEE!" They begged Lucy with large eyes and quivering lips.

The female gulped, looking at them for about a minute before dropping her head in defeat. "Fine."

"YESH!" Natsu and Happy cheered. They hopped off the bed and grabbed their desired food from her refrigerator. They pulled their favorite blonde under the covers with them before Natsu decided it was his turn to show a memory. Lucy laughed and didn't bother to shrug off the arm that was draped over her waist as they lay on their stomachs.

That night they played more flashbacks; from the time they brought Lucy to Fairy Tail to saving Macao and meeting Taurus; to their first mission as team Natsu and to that crazy day they all switched bodies.

Everyone had fun and eventually they all passed out, cuddled as a group with smiles on their faces.

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><p>Lucy stood at the entrance of her doorway; her eyebrow twitched and she was this close to dropping her newly purchased groceries and 'Lucy-kick' her partners out of her apartment.<p>

'_What's the point?' _She thought depressingly. _'They'll just come back inside.'_

The woman sighed before making her way to the fort Natsu and Happy set up in her living room.

Sensing someone behind them, the pair looked back, spotting their favorite teammate before grinning excitedly. "Welcome home!"

Her mood slightly lightened after that greeting. "Hey. What are you guys doing?" She pointed to her newly rearranged furniture; some of it was shoved to a corner while the rest was covered with blankets to make a large fort.

They blinked before they huddled together. "Hasn't she ever seen a fort before?" The dragon slayer 'whispered' to his Exceed.

"I think Lucy is just being weird." Happy 'whispered' back.

An angry vein appeared on her forehead. "You know I can hear you right?!"

Looking nervous, Natsu merely smiled in hopes of getting her less angry. "We're getting ready for the sleepover!"

"Aye!" The blue cat cheered.

Lucy sighed. "Again? We just had one yesterday guys." The celestial wizard left to the kitchen to put the groceries away. A pouting Natsu followed her inside.

"But Lucy! It was fun! Or are you saying that you didn't have fun?" He whined.

"I had fun." She stated before moving to the fridge. He continued to follow her everywhere she went.

"Then why are you complaining?" He poked her side to get her attention.

"Because this can't be an everyday thing." Lucy responded plainly, doing her best not to give in to his childish acts.

"But why not?"

"Sleepovers aren't meant for every night. Just every once and awhile."

"Says who?!" The dragon slayer countered.

"Says-I don't know- you just don't!" She answered before putting the last item away. "Besides I'm going to go broke if you guys choose to eat here every day. You finished all my food yesterday."

"But Lucy! It's always fun when we're together!" He quoted and the blonde blushed lightly; she had said that hadn't she? When she told him that she hadn't imagined that those words being used against her. "And Happy and I will be on our best behavior! I promise!"

The girl looked back at him, searching his eyes for any sign of deception. After seeing nothing but hope and determination, she smiled weakly. "Fine. But you're cleaning up everything and putting it back in its place got it?"

"Yesh! You're the best Luce!" He cheered before running back into the living room.

She rolled her eyes and made her way to her cabinet. She grabbed a silver tray before filling it up with treats. When she walked out of kitchen, she spotted her friends snuggled under the fort, lying on top of some pillows and blankets they must have brought from their home.

"Food!" The pair yelled in allusion and Lucy chuckled at their excited tone. She placed the tray down and instantly they gabbled what she brought.

"Whanks Wushi!" Natsu managed to say with a stuffed mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." The blond lectured. She sat down next to the dragon slayer. "So what are doing tonight?"

Her human friend pulled out the memory stone from his pocket. She had to admit she was surprised to see him carrying that with him.

"Remembering stuff." He smiled.

Lucy returned his grin. She was glad he loved her gift enough to use again with her; she didn't even mind that it had a few scratches now."Ok. What are we remembering tonight then?"

"Hmmmm…"

Happy gulped down the reminder of his food. "I know! Remember the time the guild went crazy over rivals?!"

"Isn't that everyday" The celestial wizard questioned.

"No! I mean REALLY crazy! Master and Cana were getting drunk and Macao and Wakaba did stuff with numbers and Mira tried to pick a fight with Erza but she was too busy attacking a pillar."

"No way! When did this happen?!" Lucy questioned.

"Yeah and how come I wasn't there?!" Natsu whined.

The blue cat shrugged. "I don't know but I'll show you." The pink haired male gave the smallest member of the team his rock. It glowed and Lucy and Natsu had to lean in to watch.

"_You've got some nerve." Gray said in a serious tone. "You're always flying around, free as a bird trying to show me up!"_

_At this point the ice wizard looked jealous. Happy was taken back. "Say what?!"_

"_I'm incredibly strong but I can't fly and you're pathetically weak but you can. As far as I'm concerned we're even!"_

"Where did this logic come from?" The celestial wizard questioned while Natsu laughed loudly. "The snow prick jealous he can't fly? He's lamer than I thought!"

"_Listen up! As of today, you are my rival!" Gray declared before the Exceed panicked and screamed._

"_What the heck has gotten into him?" Warren said in the back._

"_Come on! Let me see what you got cat!"_

"_Help! Somebody help! Gray's gone crazy in the head and is trying to fight me!" Happy cried before flying away. "Please don't let him hurt me!"_

"And you say I'm useless." The blonde commented as she poked him. The Exceed gaped at her. "Natsu! Lucy's being mean to me!" He whined.

"_Curse you wretched pillar! Why must you block my path! Shattering my dreams of passing through here unhindered! Answer me scoundrel! Is your silence your way of challenging me to fight you? From the moment I met you I knew we would be rivals." Erza told the pillar._

At this point both Natsu and Lucy were on the floor laughing so hard tears were coming out of their eyes.

"Seriously where was I when this happened?!" The dragon slayer inquired between breaths.

"I should have totally been there!" Lucy added after calming down.

"_I hate to break it to you but I don't think you can be rivals with an inanimate object Erza." Max told her._

"_The alcohol thing kind of makes sense but against a pillar that's just crazy." Warren added._

_That's when Happy made his way into the conversation. "But it would make sense if she was talking about a caterpillar right?"_

"How does that make any sense?!"

"Wah! Lucy thinks I caught her weirdness!"

"Why you-!"

"_I'll pretend you didn't say that." The brunt said to him._

_Mira appeared in front of the blue cat, her back turned as she talked to Erza. "Bring it on red! Let's fight like we used to back in the old days. But this time I'm not holding back because there's no way I'm going to lose to my life-long rival!"_

"_I'm so confused! I don't know what's going on! Natsu where are you?!"Happy panicked._

"That's what I want to know." Natsu huffed; clearly disappointed he wasn't there to watch his friends make fools of themselves.

"_I've been looking for you!" Gray's voice was heard before the blue cat made eye contact with him. "Bring it on cat!"_

"Did he seriously try to fight you?" Lucy asked Happy with a concerned look.

"If he did I'll give him a good beating!" The other human vowed.

"Just watch!" The cat insisted.

_Then they were standing on the roof of the guild, right where the bell was._

"_Just you watch; I'm going to fly further and faster than you ever could." The ice wizard said._

"_Don't do this! This is too dangerous!" Happy advised._

"_Shut your trap. I can fly! Anything you can do I can do one hundred times better! You hear me cat? I'm going to beat you."_

"_Why has everyone gone crazy?" The flying Exceed cried._

"I wish I was there!" The dragon slayer said again, pouting. He sat in thinking position, obviously trying to recall the times he wasn't with Happy.

"What happened to Gray after that?" The blonde inquired as she watched Happy stop the memory to take a bite out of his fish.

"Oh yeah! And then this happened!" Happy stated before the memory continued.

_The image changed; revealing that it was night and Gray was still on the roof. _

"Did he seriously stay there all day?!" Lucy questioned in disbelief.

"Aye!"

"_Gray you have to listen to me. This isn't going to work." The cat tried to coax him out of it._

"_Shut your face! There's no way I'm going to let you talk your way out of this one." Gray turned and faced his guild mate._

"_Alright. It's time to do this Happy. Follow me if you can." The human male said before he screamed and 'powered up.' His eyes glowed red and a purple electro field surrounded him._

"_Wow what's happening to him?!" Natsu's adopted 'son' asked._

"Since when can Gray do that?" The girl questioned once more.

Her human partner scoffed. "It's not like that's cool anyways."

"_AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH NOW I'M EVEN MORE FIRED UP!" Gray screamed as he posed._

"Hey that's my line!" Natsu yelled at the rock.

"_AH Why's he acting like Natsu all of a sudden?!" _

"Good call buddy!"

_The ice wizard had a determined expression. "Watch me fly….Arrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh"_

_Then he jumped and ran down the guild walls. "I'm going to fly! Just watch me!" _

_Gray threw himself over the water, looking as if he was going to glide over it. "Behold…. I...am the wind." _

As angry as Natsu was at his rival for using his line, he did end up laughing as much as he did when he saw Erza's rival declaration on the pillar. Lucy burst into laughter as well and leaned against the dragon slayer for support.

"Seriously? What was I doing that day Luce?" The fire mage inquired before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

She rolled her eyes. "How the heck should I know?"

"I think you said you had to take care of something that day." Happy chimed in helpingly.

'_Had to take care of something…' _Suddenly images of Mira and the guys and everyone saying Natsu liked a girl flashed in her head. Out of all the repressed memories! _'Don't tell me this was the same day?!"_

"I did, did I?" He muttered quietly before going into thinking mode.

"I-I'm sure it was nothing important right?! Th-this was a long time ago! So who cares if you can't remember right?!" The girl spoke so quickly it was a miracle Natsu managed to keep up with her. "Hey I know! Why don't I get us some more treats?! Doesn't that sound great?!"

She removed his arm and was half way up when his hand clenched around her wrist and forced her to sit on his lap. He grasped both her wrists and narrowed his eyes. She gulped.

"Now I remember! You hit me! And for no good reason!" He pouted.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" She said before attempting to get off of him.

"Yeah! All I asked you was if you can summon Virgo so I can get those pictures out of the ground and you hit me!"

"You were being an idiot!" Lucy said instead, continuing her futile attempts at freeing her wrists. "So let me go!"

"No you were being a weirdo!" The pink haired teen countered. "Oi! Happy! Hand me the rock!"

Natsu grasped her wrists in one hand and used the other one to hold the memory stone. Happy placed himself on Lucy's lap and the blonde had no choice but to watch.

"_Hey you made it!" Natsu greeted._

_Lucy panicked. "Ahhhh!"_

_The male took out a shovel and began digging. "It sure took you long enough. Now hurry up and summon that maid of yours."_

_She froze; her eyes transforming into small black dots. The girl looked completely taken back._

"Hehehe….you look like Plue Lucy." Happy giggled.

"_You know what's her name? Come on; oh that's right Virgo. See the ground is too tough for me to get through; only your celestial maid can get past it."_

_Lucy was still in the same position. "H-Hold on. You said you had something…important to say…"_

_Natsu got closer to her face. "You're not going to believe this but there's an amazing treason buried here."_

_At this point her eyes were nothing but large white scrambled circles._

This time Happy and Natsu laughed at her expression while Lucy yelled at them to shut up.

"_Someone told me that there's a chalk full of embarrassing photos of almost everybody in Fairy Tail. And they told me grumps buried it here to hide it! So…I really want to dig it up!"_

"_Um…I heard you…I mean I overheard someone say you had a crush on a girl."_

"_Huh?" He responded while continuing to dig._

"_Everyone kept saying you really wanted to see her."_

_He didn't look at her. "I was just looking for Virgo; it's not like I got feelings for her or nothing."_

_The mischievous member of Fairy Tail gave her a grin. "I was just really hoping I can get her to dig this hole for me."_

"_You were…huh?" Her eyes narrowed. "That's important?! DIGGING A HOLE?!"The girl slapped him so hard the sound echoed within the night before she sprinted away._

"_Ouch…what the?"_

"See! I didn't do anything wrong! You just hit me!" The dragon slayer whined as tried to get her to look at him. The cat on Lucy's lap figured now was a good time to get off before one of them accidently hit him.

The woman refused; even when he dropped the stone and held her chin with his thumb and index finger. Her face was so red it was practically steaming.

"Hey Natsu, did you notice Lucy looked different in the memory?" Happy asked.

'_Damn you cat!'_

"Really? How so?" He asked the Exceed.

"She had her hair up and wore a pretty dress. She actually looked nice."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ACTUALLY?" The female snapped.

"Now that I think about…you're right Happy!" Natsu turned his attention back to the partner on his lap. "Why were you dressed so nicely Luce?"

Her thoughts were spiraling everywhere. Like in hell she was going to tell him it was because she thought he was going to confess his love to her. But if she lied he'd know. Damn it…

"I-I-I thought we were going to do something else!" The blonde exclaimed. Which was true…sort of. "So yeah…"

Though she didn't lock eyes with him, she could still sense his eyes on her face. That didn't help ease her blush by the way.

He let go of her wrists, only for him to wrap them around her waist and hug her. "N-N-Natsu?"

"I'm sorry Luce." He muttered by her ear. "I must have made you think we were going somewhere fun. And then I asked for Virgo and made you think I didn't want to spend time with you. But that's not true! I love hanging out with you! You're the bestest Lucy!"

As much as she wanted to smack him for his ridiculous assumption, she couldn't help but to smile at his kind words. He was such an honest idiot, and sometimes it was good.

Rather than resisting, the celestial wizard rested her head on his shoulder. "I couldn't imagine spending my time with someone else either Natsu."

The girl could practically feel his bright smile, which is why she laughed when he nuzzled his face into her hair.

Ok. So sometimes he was a cute idiot she admitted.

However, both seemed to forget about the mischievous cat that was _just_ waiting for this golden opportunity to say his favorite line. "You likkkkeeeeee each other!"

Despite Lucy's threats to both males (one for teasing her and the other for still holding onto her) and Natsu's loud laugh at her temper, they enjoyed the night remembering the other wonderful adventures they had.

...

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><p><strong>AN: This week's Fairy Tail 2014 episode huh?...Sigh...(Hint: SPOILERS) It wasn't as terrible as the ones before but I'm still disappointed since it was unnecessary. I'm not bashing that it was a Wendy episode: I just saw it pointless that she would bond with Aquarius since the manga doesn't hint a friendship between them. If Lucy wasn't the one to face her, I would have gone with Juvia since the two of them do get along. Oh yeah! Then Lucy lost her match against Virgo in 10 seconds (MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT ON THE CREATORS SIDE) I'm trying to figure out what the creators are thinking. They had such a good idea! Why they decided to pull a 'SAO' and say 'hey this is a good idea...now let's throw it away and turn it into something less brilliant!' is still a mystery to me. This arc had so much potential and I was really looking forward to it. Just...sigh...I'll stop here for the day.**

**BTW, if you're reading the manga and you're caught up, I have a question for you. Do you think Lucy should have another important moment in this arc (like Natsu, Erza and Gray have been getting) or should she stay on the list that Hiro has of his characters to do something important and crosses them off whenever they've 'done their part.' I have an idea in my head how it can happen but I'm curious if you guys think it's necessary. **

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><p><strong>So this concludes part 1 of "Memory Stones." Originally this was supposed to be a one-shot but it got really long and I figured this would be the best place to stop it. Next chapter will have a lot more Nalu I swear! In fact it's going to be 99% Nalu so stick around for that if you're still interested in the story!<strong>

**The flashbacks are shown through a first point of view but I didn't want to write 'I' whenever the person whoever showed the memory talked. Not only would it would get too confusing but that would indicate that the stone can read minds (which it can't). Hopefully this makes sense.**

**Next chapter should be up next week (99% certain) so keep a look out for that! If you're bored feel free to check out my other Nalu stories and if you haven't voted on my poll yet please do! I would gladly appreciate it :)**

**Please leave a review; feedback is greatly appreciated it. Remember, feedback doesn't have an expiration date so never think its 'too late' to write something :)**

**Until next time,**

**Your Friend**

**Dark Shining Light**


	2. Chapter 2

(I do NOT Own Fairy Tail)

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Chapter 2

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(WARNING: If you have not read past Fairy Tail chapter 324, you may not want to read this. Contains spoilers)

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><p>The days passed and Natsu and Happy continued to invade their favorite celestial wizard's home in hopes of continuing to have their awesome sleepovers. Lucy's protests diminished as time went on and eventually she herself was looking forward to nights filled with flashbacks and laughter. (She did however start worrying about the memory stone; there were many noticeable scratches on the thing and she wondered how that was possible. Natsu usually took care of his souvenirs or gifts he received so the blonde wondered what exactly he has been doing.)<p>

Whenever they weren't remembering a time they shared together, Happy and Natsu would show her events that occurred before she joined the guild. They were either of an embarrassing moment of someone or a mission where they defeated a pathetically weak villain or sometimes when they caught very big fish. Once in a while, Happy would show her one of Natsu's less heroic moments and Natsu would do the same to Happy; either way the blonde enjoyed it.

In return, Lucy would show them the memories she had of her mother. She claimed that the memories after Layla passed away weren't that interesting; her teammates knew better though and would hold their teasing until after the memory was done.

Slowly, Natsu began to share his moments of Igneel too. Though she bought him the stone for that use (for him to recall the good times he had with his father), she hadn't been expecting him to share them with her. Internally, she was overjoyed that he thought of her as a very good trustworthy friend to share those memories to.

Tonight was no exception of their memory sharing activity; however tonight was the first time they had an awkward moment. Lucy had finished sharing one of her flashbacks about her mother when the blue cat had spoken up.

"_Lushi…" Happy had asked nervously. "Was your dad…was your dad really bad that you don't have good memories of him?"_

The girl had been taken back; she couldn't even give her friend a good answer. She had hastily said that he wasn't the worst father out there, only that he was never around, which is why she had less memories of him.

Natsu had changed the subject right after and they want on like nothing had happened.

Yet here she was, still awake when she was supposed to be sleeping for tomorrow's trip. Seeing that Natsu's birthday was in two days, Master Makarov had given the dragon slayer a two-day pass to a beach resort. Apparently the man who owned the resort owed the guild master a HUGE favor and vowed not to report anything if the room was "a bit" messy.

The fire mage was excited and invited Lucy and Happy to accompany him. Then Erza and Gray commented that they were part of team Natsu so they should be allowed to go as well. There's no way Juvia would stand for her beloved to be left with her love rival and volunteered to follow along. Carla and Wendy chipped in and said they were interested in the trip as well. Gajeel, never wanting to be left out of something, stated he and Lily would go to. Soon everyone was inviting themselves along, including the Master himself but everyone had to buy their own rooms.

The point was this was going to be a long trip and Lucy should really be resting. Instead, she was lying on her side, Happy nuzzled against her stomach and Natsu next to her, thinking about her teammate's question.

"You still awake?" The dragon slayer whispered.

Lucy flinched. She hadn't been expecting him to be up. Then again, maybe he was just thrilled about the trip.

"Yeah. How come you're not?"

The bed shifted and soon he was leaning over her. She slowly turned to face her partner, making the cat snuggle against her side instead.

Natsu shrugged. "Same reason you can't I guess."

"I doubt it."

"Still thinking about what Happy said?"

She looked up at him startled. "How'd you know?"

"You made that one look on your face when you're thinking about something and it's not something good." He pointed out. "You've been making it since Happy mentioned your dad."

The girl lowered her gaze. "Am I that obvious?"

He shrugged. "Well yeah. But only to us at the guild. I think you can fool other guys who don't know you that well."

She chose not to answer. It was sweet but didn't help in any way.

"It's not that my father was bad." Lucy whispered. "He just wasn't around much, even when my mother was alive. It's hard to remember the good times when they're so far away."

Natsu lightly gulped; the dryness of his mouth made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't know what to tell her. He didn't live in a big fancy house, surrounded by money and figuring out how to keep it through paper and law. Having money does make things easier but growing up, he and Igneel didn't need it. It was just them; living off the land together. Igneel never had to work so he spent all his time with him. He didn't know if not spending a lot of time with your child was normal where she grew up in. However, there was one thing he was certain.

"I don't think it mattered if he spent a lot of time with you or not; I'm pretty sure he loved you like any dad would."

His words touched her heart and the celestial wizard couldn't help but send him a sincere smile with glossy eyes. "Thank you Natsu…"

The pink haired teen grinned. "Anytime Luce."

Silence roamed the room. Happy's unconscious purrs were the only noise besides their breathing. Lucy's giggle broke the silence.

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You just reminded me of a good memory I had with my father." She said.

The dragon slayer smiled. "That's great."

"Can I borrow your memory stone? Please?"

"Sure thing."

He gently hopped over his partners and picked up the stone from her dresser. Once he was lying in front of her, Natsu gave her the memory stone.

"Thanks."

When the stone shined, the male turned around so his back was facing her. She raised an eyebrow at his behavior. She was about to inquire what was wrong when she saw how stiff his shoulders were.

Lucy chuckled lightly. "You can watch you know."

He looked over his shoulder. "Are you sure?"

She nodded with a smile. Natsu gave her a cheeky grin before turning back around. They watched the memory stone do its work.

_Six year old Lucy was sitting on the library floor; her eyes were locked on the book in front of her. _

"_Lucy."_

_She turned around and spotted her mother and father. "Have you chosen your book?" Layla inquired._

"_Ah-huh!" The child answered brightly before handing her mother the book. Her parents paid for the rest of their items. Soon servants began taking their purchases to the carriage._

"_Mama!" Little Lucy said before holding onto her mother's hand as they exited the shop. "I a princess right?" _

"_In a sense you are sweetheart." The older woman replied gently._

_This cased the girl to beam brighter. "And mama is queen and papa is king!"_

"_It's fair more complex than that Lucy dear." Jude commented. Seeing his daughter's confused stare, he merely grinned. "But…yes, you are correct. I am king of the household and you are a princess."_

"_Yay!" The youngest blonde cheered. "Like in the fairy tale!" _

_Layla ruffed the child's hair before sending her husband a soft smile. "Perhaps we should walk around the town a little longer. It has been so long since the three of us have spent the day together."_

_The tall male frowned. "Layla, you know the doctor said-"_

"_The doctor won't mind if I spend an extra few minutes outside with my family." She replied. She took Lucy's hand into hers as the two girls walked down the sidewalk. Once her father caught up, the youngest blonde looked at both parents._

"_Mama, papa I need a prince!" She said joyfully._

_Both were taken back. "Why would you need one sweetie?" The mother asked._

_She raised an eyebrow at her parents. "Princesses always have a prince!" _

"_Nonsense; you are too young for that." Jude commented. "You don't need a prince, especially with daddy here."_

_Besides him, Layla giggled. "I'm afraid you father is right Lucy. You're too young for a prince. Besides he might try to kiss you?" She added with a wink._

"_Eww..." Lucy whined. The older blondes laughed at her expression._

"_Then…then can I have a dragon? Princesses always have dragons!" The child argued._

"_Lucy, now you're being ridiculous." Her father scoffed. Layla shot her husband a dirty look before kneeling in front of their daughter. _

"_What your father means is dragons can't be bought. They are free creatures that love to fly and have adventures. Plus right now all the dragons are protecting something special to them and they can't come over to play just yet. Do you understand sweetheart?"_

"_Ohhhh…. Like their babies?" The small girl inquired._

_Her mother laughed. "Yes. Like their babies."_

_The young blonde smiled cheekily. "I get it Mama."_

"_Lucy."_

_She turned her head to where her father was standing. He offered her his hand. "Will you accompany me to a certain shop?"_

"_Ok Papa!" Lucy took his hand and Layla said that she would wait for them at the carriage. The two walked a few more steps before they entered a small store. It was filled with a variety of smells and many noises._

"_Puppies!" The child squealed as she can towards a group of dogs. She laughed as she moved around the cages, loving how willing these creatures wanted to play with her. She moved more to the side and spotted a large white dog. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'O'_

"_Papa look! This one big!" She said as she pointed to the sleepy fluffy creature._

_The business man kneeled besides his daughter. "Yes he is." They stayed quiet for another minute, letting the barks and meows of the animals fill the silence. _

"_Lucy…" Jude began. "I know I can't get you a dragon like you hoped. Trust me, I wouldn't want nothing more for my daughter to always be protected. But until we meet a dragon, perhaps one of these dogs can be your friends? Would you like that?" _

_She gasped loudly but her eyes twinkled with excitement. "Really Papa?" _

_He nodded. She squealed once again and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. "Thank you…" She mumbled._

"_Anything for my little girl." The male responded. She let go of her father and pointed at the large sleeping white dog. "I want this one!"_

_Jude smiled. "Of course. Have you chosen a name?"_

_Lucy grinned brightly. "Ah-huh! Plue!"_

"…_How about an actual name?"_

"…_.Pedro?"_

"…_.We'll ask your mother…"_

Lucy hadn't even noticed that she was crying until she felt Natsu's fingers wipe the tears away. Feeling embarrassed, she gently pushed his hands aside and removed the water drops herself.

"I'm sorry…." The blonde whispered. "I probably look stupid right now; crying when I should be happy."

"Not stupid, just weird." Natsu mumbled as he moved closer and gently collected the woman into his arms. "Only you would think there's something wrong with crying when it's not."

She sniffed. "Thank you…"

He let her cry. Once her sobs diminished, the dragon slayer lifted her chin up with his index finger. She looked at him with a confused gaze.

Natsu gave her a cheeky smile. "Want to see the time Igneel taught me about mating?"

The girl blinked. "Huh?"

"My old man tried to keep a straight face during the whole thing but he ended up looking pretty stupid. Wanna see?"

Seconds passed by before the girl processed what he was trying to do. A gentle look overcame her features. "Okay."

He grinned brightly. After snuggling closer, he took the object into his hand.

"_Alright boy, I believe you're old enough to learn about human mating." The red dragon said, looking confident in the subject he was about to teach. "Now pay attention, otherwise you'll never find a mate…" _

_He muttered more quietly. "And I'll be stuck with an overgrown child for the rest of my life."_

_Igneel looked at his son and noticed that he was still attempting to burn a section of the forest. Growling in annoyance, he smacked Natsu behind the head with his tail. This caused the child to do a face-plant. _

"_Owwww…what the heck was that for?!" The human grumbled as he lifted himself up. _

"_You weren't listening." _

"_I don't need to know that stuff." 10 year old Natsu waved him off. "Mating sounds boring. Why do I need a mate anyways? You can't eat them."_

"_Mates are long life companions and eternal lovers." The gigantic creature pointed out._

"_Boooorrrriiinnngggg…"_

_Another smack to the head was applied. _

"_Ouch! Cut that out Igneel!" He whined before charging at his father. The dragon sighed. He picked up the fussing child with his talons and placed him on the floor._

"_Perhaps now you find the idea of a mate less appealing but sooner or later you'll run into her and when the time comes you must be prepared."_

"_Prepared for what?" _

"_Prepared to impress her of course!" Igneel beamed._

"_Why would I want to do that?"_

"_Oh for the flames of-" The dragon stopped himself from cussing. Instead he took a deep breath and released it. "Never mind that. Now, human mating and dragon mating a bit different. For example, a female human will not lay an egg when mating is complete. However, from what I've seen, humans are just as passionate when it comes to making love as we are. First-"_

"_Seen where?"_

_Igneel blinked. "Pardon?"_

"_You said from what you've seen. Where have you seen it?" Little Natsu inquired innocently._

_The gigantic red creature scratched the side of his cheek with a talon. "Well in the forest multiple times-" _

"_Pervert."_

_Igneel smacked him a third time. "Child, how is it that you know that term yet don't know the concept of mating?!"_

_The dragon didn't give him time to answer. "Never mind. Now hush, not a sound from you or you'll be sleeping outside the cave."_

_Seeing that his son was finally quiet, Igneel continued. "Once you have selected the woman you plan to spend the rest of your life with, and the feelings of love are neutral between you two, you will have urges to mark her physically. The process begins whenever the male or female-" _

The images disappeared and Lucy looked up at her partner with a pout. "Hey, why'd you stop?"

"Geez Luce, I didn't know you were such a pervert." The male teased.

She flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not!" She snapped. A whiny groan from her thigh informed her that she was too loud. When deciding to whisper, she continued. "I just want to know what Igneel taught you. I'm curious to hear what he had to say about human love."

"He said some stuff. Nothing too important." Natsu answered with a shrug.

The woman frowned at his lack of effort. "Natsu…"

"Lucy…"

"Tell me!" She hissed.

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Just cause. It's something you don't need to see." The dragon slayer stated. He must have remembered what he didn't want her to see and had forgotten that the memory stone was still in his hand because the next second she knew, she heard a loud horrified yell from child Natsu.

"_I PUT MY WHAT WHERE?!"_

He dropped the stone onto the sheets but the damage had already been done. Lucy burst out laughing.

"SHUT UP! STOP LAUGHING!" The fire mage whined; his cheeks were a bright red. But his friend didn't stop.

"Mmmm…" Happy rubbed a sleepy eye. "Do you have to be so loud?! I'm trying to sleep!" He pouted.

Lucy's loud laughter diminished to quiet chuckles. "Sorry-Happy." She breathed. The blonde stroked the back of the cat's head and eventually he went back to sleep.

She looked back at her partner; she noticed that he turned his back towards her. She could tell that he had his arms crossed and his head was tucked in, indicating that he was still embarrassed.

The celestial wizard released another giggle before she snuggled against his back and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Come on, don't be mad. You have to admit it was funny."

He didn't response to her words or her actions.

"I'm sorry for laughing."

He still didn't comment.

Lucy sighed. She buried her face into his back. "Thank you for showing me that memory. You made me feel a lot better."

"Weirdo." The male shifted and she released her grip on him. Once facing her, he pulled her back into his arms.

She smiled and slipped her arm under his to be more comfortable. Once she laid her head on his arm, the girl slipped into a peaceful slumber and Natsu followed right after.

* * *

><p>The group's mouths dropped in amazement. Makarov stood in the back, smiling smugly. He was proud he could finally get his brats to be speechless. The group of guild members, which consisted of almost all of them, stared at the inside of the beach resort with amazement.<p>

"Look! They have an all-you-can-eat buffet!" Natsu cheered as he eyed one of the resort's restaurants.

"Aye! They must have a lot of fish!" Happy drooled as he imagined a variety amount of fish.

"Calm down you two," Their blond partner lectured but the smile was a dead giveaway that she wasn't upset. "We need to check in first before we do anything."

"Aye sir!"

The trio walked back to their family before dividing into groups. Each group scattered to get their room. Natsu and Happy got the room their guild master booked for them before approaching the celestial wizard. She was talking with Levy but that wouldn't stop them from getting to her.

"Luce, we got the room!" Natsu stated as he showed her both keys.

"That's great guys." She smiled warmly but made no move to take one of the hotel keys from her teammate.

It was an awkward few seconds but Natsu got over it by taking the girl's hand and pulled her away from the blunette. "Natsu, what are-"

"Well you're taking so long. Let's leave our stuff in the room and then go have some fun!" The dragon slayer stated as he continued to drag her.

"Hold it!" The girl planted her feet firmly on the ground. The action caused the male to stop as well. Natsu and the Exceed stared at her in confusion.

Lucy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot to mention but I won't be sharing a room with you guys on this trip."

"WHAT?! WHY!" Both boys looked devastated.

Ignoring the guilt she was feeling, she continued. "The rooms are kind of expensive so some of the girls asked me if I can help them out by sharing a room with them."

"But….but LUCCEEE!" The pink haired male whined loudly. "We're always together!"

"Aye! And Natsu brought the stone so we can remember more things! Why are you such a meanie Lushi?" Happy sobbed.

"I'M NOT BEING MEAN!" The female snapped. "I'm just helping out friends. Look it's going to be for one night so what's the big deal?!"

Instantly the dragon slayer and feline went into a depressed state. Any guilt that she was trying to cover up resurfaced. "Guys…please don't do this."

"Fine. But promise you'll visit at night so we can do our memory sharing." Natsu said. The blue cat nodded besides him.

She smiled warmly. "I promise."

"Lucy, I have the keys." Erza stated as she walked up to the group. "It shall be Juvia, Levy, you, and myself sharing a room."

"Okay! Sounds great!" The blonde turned back to her teammates. "I'm going to go get ready. The whole group plans on meeting by the large pool with a water slide in a half an hour. I'll see you there."

"But-"

"Do you have a problem with the arrangements I have made?" The S-class wizard inquired with a glare that sent shivers down Natsu and Happy's spines.

"N-nooo! Not a single one! Right Happy?" He stated as he saluted her.

"A-aye!"

The women walked away, leaving the two boys to pout that they lost their celestial wizard to a 'monster'.

* * *

><p>As they walked to their room, Natsu muttered things such as 'stupid Erza' or 'damn Lucy for leaving him' or 'stupid girls taking away his partner.' "Grrrr….AND I'M THE ONE WHO INVITED HER!" He shouted in the hallway, successfully and unintentionally screaming off an old couple.<p>

He continued to grumble as Happy opened the door to their room. The dragon slayer moodiness temporarily vanished as they stared at the room in delight.

"Wooooahhhh…." They breathed. Master Makarov hadn't gone cheap on his most destructive brat. The room contained a living room, a kitchen, and magnificent view of the beach. To the side was a hallway and when they peaked inside, there were two bedrooms, each with a king size bed.

The pair dropped their belongings and jumped on one of the beds.

"It's not as soft as Lucy's." Happy whined as he rolled on it.

"It doesn't smell as nice either." The pink haired human added.

Happy gave him one of his famous mischievous grins. "You lllliiikkkkeeee her!"

"Shut up!" Natsu snapped with a light shade of pink on his cheeks.

The cat chuckled before flying out of the room to investigate the kitchen. The other male grunted before collapsing on the king size bed.

Unconsciously, his thoughts went back to his blond teammate. He had been doing that more often. He thought about his partner a lot before but now it seemed like she permanently stayed in his head.

Lucy Heartfilia. The strange girl he met in Hargeon Town who wouldn't stop talking about joining his family without even knowing it. She had little experience as a mage but that didn't stop her from being a kind, strong and passionate woman.

She…she was a lot of things to him; the first girl he brought to the guild; his first real human partner; the one person he was constantly visiting; the only one he's ever tried anything with.

Lucy Heartfilia. She was her own category. She was a weirdo, his guildmate, teammate, best friend…someone he couldn't ever let go. She was just too damn important to him.

He remembered the night Lucy gave him the stone. He stayed up longer, continuing to watch memories of his little family as they slept away. The memory stone did have him relive such wonderful times, but it also gave him the ability to look at the less pleasant ones.

"_You stole something precious from me right before my eyes!"_

Thinking so much about his blonde teammate caused him to remember the time he could have lost her. He didn't lose _his_ Lucy per say, but he still watched her die. He just stared at her as she slowly withered away.

Many emotions stirred inside of him and the only thing keeping him from losing his mind was the fact that his Lucy was still around and there was still a chance to prevent her death.

If Rogue had succeeded in killing Lucy that day, he honestly wouldn't know where he would be today.

That's why he'll be grateful his Lucy didn't pass away; that's why he'll appreciate her weird habits just a bit more. That's why he'll stop denying and accept that he-

"Hey Natsu! Look!" The cat cried from the living room. The dragon slayer stopped his train of thoughts and exited the room to join his partner by the window.

"What's up buddy?"

"Look!"

The fire mage followed Happy's finger and saw a small souvenir stand on the beach. "What about it-"

Then he saw what Happy was pointing at. There were so many of them. And it gave him an idea.

"Hey Happy, I'm going to need you to do me a big favor."

* * *

><p>Lucy sat down on the small bed, drying her recently washed hair with a towel. Levy and Erza were showering while Juvia had disappeared, probably out stalking Gray again.<p>

She sighed as she stared out the window. It was dark, close to midnight in fact and Natsu hadn't shown up the whole day! She didn't see him in the pool, nor the spa; heck not even in any of the restaurants this resort had.

Was he that disappointed in not sharing a bedroom that he would go out of his way to avoid her and the rest of the guild? Or was it something else?

The girl thought back to Happy's words. Had Natsu really bought the memory stone with him? Even on his vacation?

She blushed. She was extremely pleased that he loved her gift so much. Knowing that he didn't hate it warmed her heart in only ways he could do.

Watching those memories through the stone gave her a lot of time to reflect. To imagine that her life changed for the better the moment that idiot brought her along on his crazy escape from the royal army.

He was a kind stranger who introduced her to his family and shared them with her after one day of knowing her.

And it didn't stop there. He took her under his wing, made her a member of his team and gave her a world filled with adventures.

He protected her, saved her life countless times and became one of the few people she could rely on.

Natsu was an idiot, an annoying roommate from time to time, a precious guild member, her best friend and more.

As much as she hated to admit it, she fell in love with the great Salamander. She never wanted to accept it; after all he meant so much to her that she never wanted anything to break their friendship, including her one-sided feelings.

But after reliving all those amazing memories with him, she knew she was never going to find anyone else like him again. She won't deny them (to herself anyways) because denying them would mean she was ashamed. She wasn't; Natsu was a wonderful person but for the sake of their friendship, she'll learn to keep these feelings to herself.

The girl released another breath of air as she continued to look out the window. Should she even bother going to their room tonight? Natsu and Happy seemed like they wanted nothing to do with her.

She closed her eyes as she imagined what they possibly could be doing and where the hell they've been all day.

Her questions were answered the moment she felt someone in front of her. She opened her eyes and would have screamed if Natsu hadn't covered her mouth with his hand.

How did he-? How long was she zoned out that she didn't even hear him open the window and land right in front of her?! How did he even get up?! It was the fourth floor damn it!

"Sorry Luce. No time to explain." The pink haired teen mumbled. He released her mouth for one second before he picked her; one arm under her shoulder and neck so he could cover her mouth once again with his hand. His other arm snaked around her thighs to help keep her up.

The next four seconds involved Natsu jumping outside the hotel window, and Lucy screaming into his hand the whole way down.

* * *

><p>They walked down the beach. The dragon slayer held onto his stinging cheek; the one Lucy punched once he released her.<p>

Though she looked like she regretted it, the blonde refused to apologize, saying it was his fault and how his actions were completely unnecessary.

"So…where are you taking me?" She said instead.

"Well here I guess."

"You guess?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"Here it is!" Natsu ran a few feet away from her and pulled out a ruffled bag. He sat down Indian style and motioned the girl to sit with him.

The celestial spirit mage grunted before kneeling besides him. He gave her a cheeky grin.

"Ta-da!" He dropped the bags' contents on the sand. The girl's eyes widened. "Are those-"

"Yeah, all memory stones!" Natsu said as he continued to grin. There were about two dozen memory stones in front of her.

"Where did you find them? And how could you afford them! Just one was more than my rent!" She exclaimed.

"That's not important." He said as he waved her off. "I got a whole bunch of these to show you stuff!"

"Why would you need so many?" Her eyes narrowed. "And what happened to the one I gave you?"

"I still have it!" The dragon slayer pulled out his memory stone from his pocket. "See! It's right here!"

Lucy let out a tiny breath of relief. For a moment she thought he lost it. She picked one of the newer stones and analyzed it. She frowned. "Natsu this one has a scratch on this. You should really be more careful."

"Huh?"

"See." She held out the stone to show him the scratch. Much to her surprise, the male only laughed.

The girl frowned. "What?!"

"You seriously don't what that is?"

"No. What?!" She asked again; though this time with a hint of annoyance.

"And you're supposed to be the smart one." He commented as he mockingly shook his head in disappointment.

"Just tell me already!" She snapped.

"Okay! Okay! Well I noticed that the stone you gave me was scratched after we used it. When I ran my finger over it, a memory we shared played over again. I asked the old man who sold me the rest of these if that was right and he said that's what the stones do. They hold memories so we can never forget them." He smiled brightly, obviously pleased.

"Woah...I didn't know that." She mumbled. Her eyes scanned the rest of the stones and noticed they all had a scratch.

"But they all have scratches."

Natsu's cheerfulness slowly diminished; his expression reflected happiness but in a more peaceful manner. "That's because they all hold a precious memory."

He picked up one of the newer stones. The male looked back at her and Lucy could see the nervous feelings he was trying to hide. "Lucy...I'm going to show you some things. Promise not to say anything until you see them all okay?"

The dragon slayer looked at her with such an intense gaze that it had her blushing in two seconds top. Though a little nervous, she nodded and muttered. "Okay."

She watched as he traced his finger over the line and an image appeared on the stone.

'_You want to join Fairy Tail right? Then come with me!' _

That was the first time they met, she realized. Natsu let it play and picked up a different stone.

'_Let's Make a Team.'_

He grabbed another and traced his finger over the scratch.

'_You're Lucy from Fairy Tail right? This is your home.'_

'_If my friend is hurt, I might burn you to a crisp.'_

Her heartbeat accelerated. She watched with wonder as each memory played.

'_We should take it back as a souvenir for Lucy!'_

'_You bastards lay one finger on Lucy and I'll turn all of you to ash!' _

'_Let's form a team.'_

'_Let's go Lucy!'_

'_Let's do it Natsu!'_

'_I won't want…to run away by myself…because no matter what…I'd rather be together with everyone…'_

Without even noticing, tears trailed down her face.

'_We can't let it end here!'_

'_Okay. We'll never give up!'_

'_I'm sorry…for making you worry about me.'_

'…_Whether your tears fall or they don't, I don't think that has anything to do with how you feel…'_

'_You were __**amazing**__'_

'_I won't betray everyone's emotions. That's why I'll never give up.'_

'_STOP IT!'_

'_I'll definitely get revenge for Lucy.'_

'_Natsu…I believe in you. I have ever since I joined the guild.'_

'_If Lucy and I get separated here, what's the point anymore?'_

_'Why would I doubt Lucy's words?'_

'_I won't let anyone steal Lucy's future'_

'_Is something wrong Lucy?'_

'_No…not really. Just…thank you.'_

As all the memories played around them, Natsu cupped her face and whipped the tears away with his thumbs.

"I'm-sorry." She sniffed. "Gosh, this-I hate crying! And I'm not even sad!"

The fire mage cracked a gentle smile. "Weirdo. Only you would think there's something wrong with crying."

She released a quiet laugh. "I guess I am weird after all."

He rested his forehead against hers. The playful atmosphere turned serious again.

"Lucy Heartfilia," He breathed. "I have feelings for you... Feelings that tell me you're more than just my partner. They make me want to do weird things like in your books...and...damn it why is this so hard..." Natsu whined quietly. It didn't stop the blonde from smiling though. "Arggg... if I say it I'll sound lame or maybe like a pervert like the stripper...but Luce, I-I-I-"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tilted her head and crushed his lips with hers. The dragon slayer seemed taken back but eventually complied and kissed her back.

They stayed like that for a few minutes; it was only when they needed air that they let go. Both of them had blushes and goofy grins.

"Natsu Dragneel...I'm in love with you." She confessed.

He grinned. "I love you too Luce."

She smiled. Everything seemed right at the moment. She guessed he thought so too because he looked like he was going to kiss her again, only for a loud frightened yell to stop them.

"NATSU! HE KNOWS!"

Happy frantically flew to the two. "NATSU! HE KNOWS! AND HE'S MAD!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"

"NATSU!" Another voice bellowed through the sky. "YOU SHITTY BRAT! I TAKE YOU TO A RESORT AND YOU REPAY ME BY BUYING 1,000,000 J WORTH OF ROCKS! YOU'RE REALLY IN FOR IT NOW!"

"RUN!" The dragon slayer snatched her hand, which caused her to yelp before he took off running. Happy put the memory stones back in the bag and he flew above his teammates with it.

"NATSU YOU BOUGHT THE MEMORY STONES WITH THE GUILD"S MONEY?!" She screamed. "HOW IDIOTIC ARE YOU?!"

"He lllliiikkkeeesss you." The Exceed purred from above.

"I think it was worth it!" He responded to the girl. "Don't you?"

She blushed and muttered, "You idiot."

"Your idiot." He corrected with a smile. Of course Lucy returned it.

"Besides," Natsu yelled as they continued to run. "The stone you gave me is covered in scratches. Now we can start filling up the new stones with our new adventures!"

The smile on her face only increased. However, the smile disappeared as Lucy panicked. "Wait! What time is it?!"

"12 o'clock last time I checked." Happy answered from above.

"Natsu stop! I forgot something!"

The male stopped and turned around. The sudden stop caused the girl to crash into his arms. Thankfully, he was strong enough to keep them both in place. The pink haired teen looked at her with confusion. "What?!"

She placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed his lips. "Happy Birthday."

Natsu blinked; it was obvious he had forgotten. However, he beamed anyways. "You remembered!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Of course you idiot. I could never forget something as important as your birthday."

They seemed to forget that they were running away from their pissed off guild master; Happy didn't though. He flew off in a hurry, yelling out "You llliiikkkkeee each other" once he was in the distance. His words made them chuckle but not run like they were supposed to.

"This day is definitely going on a memory stone." The dragon slayer stated as he placed his hands on her waist and leaned closer to her face.

When she was an inch away from his lips, she replied. "Yes. And every adventure we have afterwards."

_'Because anything with you, is worth remembering...'_

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><p><strong>AN: Dedicated to Ryuoujin, who wanted a Nalu story were Lucy thinks back on the adventures Natsu has given her and how meaningful they are to her while Natsu thinks back on those memories to realize that Lucy is extremely precious to him. Then it leads to a romantic epiphany. I hope you enjoyed it :)**

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><p><strong>Special thanks to those who reviewed; again your kind words have encouraged me not to give up and continue writing! Thank you-<strong>

**Sawakaze-Steph16, NgocHuong, XxFairy-chanxX, PieLover139**

**ThunderMastery24, Brokenangelsely, Ryuoujin, fairyglitter101, **

**Arwen2712, FDsecretart, Twishadowhunter, AbsentAngel, **

**TheDragonThatBreathesIce, RichardianScholar Clark-Weasley**

**LightSpeed Athlete24, rebma726, , Yumi-kii,**

**ishould-stab-u, NyankoSenpai, **

**wwnetww (Guest- thank you but can you be more specific by what you meant as 'future references?')**

**romjponsaran, Searching for my Rushmore, ChaosxXx, Tuskihimesama95, **

**and justanotherdreamgirl**

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><p><strong>The final chapter is finally complete! I'm so happy! I'm hope you enjoyed it and thought it was worth the wait. Please dismiss the cheesy ending though. I didn't know how else to end it and I feel like it was a bit OOC for my taste. <strong>

**I'm so sorry this took too long. I thought once I was on winter break I would have more time to write but now that I'm home, it seems like work and family don't want to give me a moment's rest, especially my ten year old sister and work. I swear they're both teaming up together to make sure I never have a true day off XD**

**My original plan was write the next chapter of "What You Make Me Do" but at this point I don't know what's next. It depends on my mood. Plus I have a long list of requests I need to finish so I'll try to get those done. **

**If you're bored, feel free to check out my Nalu stories. Also, if you haven't voted on my poll please do so. I'm closing it after December 25. **

**Thank you for your patience and support on this story! Please leave me a review with any thoughts/comments. Your reviews always make my day when I'm at home or on my break at work.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays**

**From Your Friend**

**Dark Shining Light**

**P.S. Rather than rant on the Celestial Spirit Arc (I've given up hope at this point), I want to hear your favorite Nalu moment. I couldn't get every single Nalu moment in this story so I'm curious to hear which one is your favorite :)**


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